SUPRS Thanksgiving BreakXSTSR and SUPRS Join Forces, Will Co-Sanction Online Sim Supermodified Races
March 14, 2015 – Goshen, IN…Xtreme Short Track Sim Racing, (XSTSR), and the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), two well-known online sim racing leagues, have announced that they will join forces for a partnership to include the co-sanctioning of non-wing supermodified sim racing online and to promote real supermodified racing to an online sim audience.
Both leagues will keep their own identity but come together to help build the online community already racing supermodifieds, while jointly focusing on exposing supermodified racing to the online community that is unfamiliar with this unique form of pavement short track racing.
SUPRS and XSTSR will work together to promote online supermodified racing.
What started as SUPRS co-founder Bob Gangwer reaching out to the online supermodified sim community for help in completing a nearly finished mod, quickly became a partnership beyond what either party had imagined.
Gangwer explained, “We’d been working on a rFactor mod for non-wing supermodifieds for some time. We were having trouble getting it done, and for SUPRS to continue to grow we knew we needed to move on from NASCAR Heat and work with people who are knowledgeable about rFactor.”
That knowledge comes in the form of XSTSR league director Dave Soja, XSTSR race director Art Palmer and their fellow league administrator and lead XSTSR designer, Shane Gott. All three have a vast amount of experience in rFactor’s nuances and were willing to help SUPRS complete their mod.
Doug Forgue, A.K.A. “Flash” was instrumental in getting the SUPRS non-wing supermodified started and nearly finished.
“After talking things over with John, (SUPRS Co-Founder & Assistant League Director John Davidson), we agreed that we needed to approach Dave Soja because he was a former SUPRS member, and a friend to us through the supermodified family,” said Gangwer. “We wanted to get his advice to help point us in the right direction of a modeler/designer that would work with our goals of completing the project that Doug Forgue had started.
“We didn’t want the core of the mod changed because we knew we had something special, we wanted to stay true to Doug’s original design. Dave suggested that we contact Art Palmer and Shane Gott. We did and after seeing Shane’s work on a new wing supermodified for rFactor, I knew we were headed in the right direction.
“We are moving forward quickly and efficiently and looking at doing more than just having them help us with finishing our mod,” observed Gangwer.
The SUPRS rFactor non-wing supermodified has been in the works for sometime. Here’s an example of a finished Hawk Jr. chassis.
Art Palmer agreed with Gangwer that while the first goal was to help SUPRS complete their mod, it quickly became clear that the potential for more was there. “XSTSR has always wanted to be accessible for any racer, or group of racers, that wants to help the asphalt community grow and move forward on rFactor,” he stated. “We were excited when SUPRS asked us to help complete their first foray into rFactor and we believe this new-found relationship can be just the beginning of a much larger relationship.”
Although many details are yet to come, both parties are certain of one thing; the need to promote friendship and a family atmosphere within the online supermodified sim racing community.
“We urge all pavement racers to run with SUPRS and to become a part of their mission to help injured supermodified drivers and we hope that the SUPRS drivers will come run Xtreme” said Palmer. “We are not going to compete with SUPRS because we want both sanctions to grow. We both have the same core values of racing online with a family atmosphere that encourages long-lasting friendships.”
Gangwer echoed Palmer’s sentiments stating, “Art, Shane, and Dave have shown that they are willing to help us grow and teach us the intricacies of rFactor. I am certain that they also understand our stated goals of friendship and family and Mission Statement of supporting the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds.”
For now the plan is for each sanction to continue to run their own shows and formats during separate non-conflicting seasons. There will be several events that will be combined and co-sanctioned with the goal of crowning an overall champion of the joined series.
“I’d liken it to Xtreme and SUPRS being regional non-wing supermodified tours that come together a couple of times a year for a couple of big events but also allow drivers to gain points by running each region then crowning an overall champion,” Gangwer explained. “We are going to encourage the SUPRS regulars to compete with XSTSR and we’re not going to schedule against them.”
Palmer added, “We will still have our array of mods we will run, this is a way for SUPRS to get their feet wet with rFactor and to cross promote supermodified racing to a wider online audience. Our schedule starts in April and ends around the first of June and their non-wing schedule picks up around the time ours ends, so I don’t see any issues with a conflict and we are going to encourage our guys to go run with them.”
More information about this pairing of online sim racing leagues will be forthcoming. Online sim racers, as well as those in the supermodified community can follow the ongoing developments on SUPRS.net or GottMotorsports.com/xstsr.
About XSTSR:
Established in 2014 and now sanctions pavement rFactor mods such as Tour Modifieds, Outlaw Super Late Models, NEMA Midgets, as well as Paved 410 Sprints and Wing and Non wing Supermodifieds. With the support of Gott Motorsports Mods and JCR Tracks ( Jason Ray) mods they have established a great following in such a short amount of time. Visit GottMotorsports.com/xstsr or XSTSR.freeforums.net for more information.
About SUPRS:
The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), was formed in 2004 as a way to promote real supermodified racing in the online sim racing world and give back to supermodified drivers and teams in memory of supermodified racer Dion Parish. Visit SUPRS.net to learn more about “Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons.”
